Fontaine Modification Co. is reorganizing itself into three business segments to provide more intense focus on the individual markets.

The company’s three segments will be Fontaine Alternative Fuels, Fontaine Auto Transport Services and Fontaine Modification Services.

“Segmenting the business, utilizing Marmon Toolbox Concepts, will enable us to better focus on these three key markets to enhance customer satisfaction and support emerging growth initiatives,” said Will Trantham, president of Fontaine Modification.

Fontaine Alternative Fuels will concentrate on performing conversions of both gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles to run in conjunction with autogas (propane) or to be powered entirely by this emerging fuel source. The business will offer conversions of new OEM vehicles using EPA-certified technologies, as well as aftermarket conversions using EPA-certified technologies. In addition, it will support modifications for autogas and CNG-powered heavy-duty trucks.

Read more here.

West Virginia considers Propane- Powered School Buses

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The state Department of Education is hoping to save millions by hopping on the alternative fuel bandwagon.

A deal is in the works to convert to propane-powered school buses, which could create more than $3,000 in savings in fuel costs per bus per year, according to the department's executive director of transportation, Ben Shew.

"That's about a 50 percent reduction," Shew said. "We use about six million gallons of fuel annually statewide. When you consider the cost of diesel fuel, that's about $24 million. With this, we think we can reduce that cost close to $10 million a year."     Read more here.

Well-to-Wheels analysis shows Autogas has the lowest carbon emissions: setting the standard for environmentally friendly fuels

A recently updated German study demonstrates that Autogas compares favourably with compressed natural gas in Western Europe.  

The big picture

Contrary to common belief, airborne emissions from road vehicles come not just from the exhaust pipe. The zero-emissions vehicle, which is currently been hyped, is actually a myth. Neither hydrogen, nor biofuels nor the pure battery-powered electric vehicle are genuinely emissions-free, as in having zero impact on the environment. When assessing the impact of a fuel on the environment, especially its potential to contribute to climate change, and when comparing alternative fuels like Autogas to conventional fuels, one needs to take into account all aspects of the supply of the fuel, as well as how much of it is consumed in the vehicle.

LP Gas is a by-product of the extraction of petroleum and natural gas, of the refining of petroleum products and the production of synthetic liquid fuels, including – in some cases – those from renewable sources. Supply of LP Gas is set to continue to expand in the coming years, particularly with increased production of liquefied natural gas (LNG), as the separation of methane from other products contained in the natural gas stream is performed more easily in the liquefaction process. The portability and ease of transportation of LP Gas as a commodity fuel also favours the development of the market. The fuel’s environmental advantages provide a further reason to be confident about the prospects for demand for LP Gas in general and Autogas in particular.

Providing information on the benefits  of using Autogas isn’t the end of the story. Only a holistic comparison with other fuels, taking all their different attributes into account can provide a solid basis for evaluation. Given the practical constraints on a number of alternative transport fuels, it makes sense to compare the environmental characteristics of Autogas against those of its main competitor: compressed natural gas (CNG). 

Read more here.

Propane Autogas Primed For A Bountiful 2013

Right before the holidays, Student Transportation Inc. quietly issued a press release that many in the clean fleet arena viewed as a harbinger of great things to come for propane autogas. Various stakeholders are certainly hoping it is, indeed, the case.

Adoption of alternative fuels among fleets is light but building momentum, so one could argue that all news from the sector is notable in some fashion. However, the STI announcement was unambiguously big, especially for propane. The company was not deploying four or 40 propane-powered school buses, but 400.

Read More Here.

Shale-Gas Output Led Production to Record in 2011, U.S. Says

U.S. natural-gas production rose to an all-time high of 28.5 trillion cubic feet in 2011, led by record output from shale deposits, an Energy Department report showed.

Gross gas output rose 6.2 percent in 2011 from a year earlier, the department’s Energy Information Administration said in its Natural Gas Annual report, released late yesterday.

Production of gas from shale deposits climbed 46 percent to 8.5 trillion cubic feet in 2011, the most in department data going back to 2007. Shale accounted for 30 percent of total output in 2011, up from 22 percent the previous year.

Shale production surged as drilling technologies such as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, made it more economical to extract gas from rock formations such as the Marcellus in the Northeast and the Bakken in North Dakota.

Output from other gas wells fell 7.2 percent to 12.29 trillion, the lowest level in data going back to 1967. The share of total output from other gas wells fell to 43 percent from 49 percent, department data show.

Dry-gas production rose 7.4 percent to 22.9 trillion cubic feet in 2011, an all-time high.

Autogas engine research projects advance in North America

PERC is funding a number of research projects to evaluate the performance of propane Autogas in a range of internal combustion engines. These projects are primarily run on engine dynos – test rigs where the engines are tested outside of a vehicle – at research organizations in order to accurately assess and quantify the performance of these engines when operating on Autogas.

All of the projects are either in the initial set-up phase or not yet started, so this report is more about what we will be doing rather than results. The actual results will follow in future months and will be the subject of a later report (if not multiple reports).

Read more here.

Congratulations State Representative Tony Dale on his Swearing in this Week.

CleanFUEL USA congratulates State Representative Tony Dale (formerly of Ferrellgas) on his win and official swearing in at the Texas State Capitol yesterday.

Pictured: Jackie Mason (Texas Propane Gas Association), Curtis Donaldson (CFUSA), Tony Dale, Crystelle Markley (CFUSA)

Canyon States Bus Sales Delivers Thirteen New Propane School Buses to Glendale Elementary School District

Canyon State Bus Sales today announced the sale of thirteen new propane-powered school buses that will be delivered to Glendale Elementary School District in Glendale, Arizona.  Six of the buses are Blue Bird Propane-Powered Vision Type C units and seven of the buses are NEXBUS Type A propane units from Collins Bus Corporation.  Mr. Eric Kissel, Director of Transportation for the Glendale Elementary School District, said, “We are very excited to add environmentally friendly propane buses to our fleet. With the help of Canyon State Bus Sales, we are going to be using buses that pollute less and save money for the school district.”

Featuring 60 percent less carbon monoxide, 12 percent less carbon dioxide, 20 percent less nitrogen oxide and up to 25 percent less greenhouse gases than gasoline, these new propane-powered buses will reduce the carbon footprint in the Glendale community.  Additionally, 90% of the nation’s propane supply is domestically produced, reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil. 

“The Blue Bird Propane-Powered Vision is a great choice for any school district looking for a cost-effective, green solution to safely transport children,” said Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. “The Glendale School District’s new propane-powered buses are a win-win for the children they transport and the community taxpayers with cleaner emissions and highly-affordable fuel costs. The district will be a thriving example of the benefits of using American-sourced propane autogas.”

Kent Tyler, President of Collins Bus Corporation, noted, “As the largest Type A manufacturer, we are pleased to join with Canyon State to support their customers and the community with efficient and environmentally friendly buses.” 

Phil Polizzatto, Owner and President of Canyon State Bus Sales, said, “We are happy to be a partner with Glendale Elementary School District in their move to propane powered school buses. Glendale is being both financially and environmentally responsible by choosing this technology.  Additionally, their partnership with Ferrellgas, a local fuel supplier, has allowed them to save significant dollars in both their fueling station and fuel costs.”

Canyon State Bus Sales will hold a media event for Glendale Elementary School District at the District Office in Glendale, Arizona on January 11 at 9 a.m. MST. This event is open to the public.

Propane-fueled buses cut costs for Arizona schools

As Arizona’s school districts look to cut their budgets, some Valley schools are turning to alternative-fuel buses to save on costs and to be greener.

Mesa Public Schools, the Phoenix Union High School District and the Glendale Elementary School District are among the handful of Arizona districts that have made the switch to propane-powered buses. Districts save at least $1 per gallon by switching from diesel buses to propane buses, which run with reduced emissions.

“What we’re seeing with propane is very new. It became commercialized early last year, so now we’re seeing that trend move,” said Bill Sheaffer, executive director of the Valley of the Sun Clean Cities Coalition, a Phoenix-based non-profit.

Read more here.

Propane gaining ground as an alternative vehicle fuel

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Around here, most people stare blankly when Bret Chandler starts talking about using propane as an alternate vehicle fuel.

But most people haven't spent the past three years of their lives working with companies that convert cars and trucks to run on propane and setting up networks of filling stations all over California, Texas and Colorado.

"Liquid propane is the third most-used auto fuel in the world," said Chandler, 51, a Charleston-based entrepreneur and investor who wants to bring liquid propane technology to West Virginia.

Read more here.

6 Eco-Car Predictions For 2013 From Forbes

A lot of these predictions could prove to be wrong, but I’m hoping by then this column will be wrapping fish and nobody will remember. So here goes, six thoughts for 2013:

Read more here.

Propane Benefits from "Fiscal Cliff" Deal

After a protracted post-Christmas negotiation between the President and Congress, an agreement has been reached on important tax related issues affecting all Americans.

On January 1, 2013 Congress completed action on legislation to avoid the consequences of sending the country over the so-called fiscal cliff. Unfortunately, some other critical decisions affecting the U.S economy have been put off for consideration during the next session of Congress, due to begin tomorrow.

The legislation, which is expected to be signed by the President, contains several provisions that will affect the propane industry.  First, there were some propane specific energy tax credits that had expired and have been extended through 2013. In addition these provisions were also made retroactive for taxable year 2012. These credits are:
Alternative Fuel Tax Credit (50 cents per gallon including propane used in forklifts)
Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit (30% up to a maximum of $30,000)
Energy Efficient Existing Homes Tax Credit ($150 for qualified propane furnace and $300 for qualified propane water heater)
Energy Efficient New Homes Tax Credit (Up to $2,000 to an eligible contractor who constructs a qualified energy efficient new home)

All the same rules apply to these credits as in the past. The only thing that has changed are the expiration dates.

The other provision of interest to the propane industry concerns the estate tax. The change to the estate tax provisions have now been made permanent. These changes include an exemption level of $5 million (permanently indexed to inflation) with a top tax rate of 40%. While a complete repeal of estate taxes was preferable, it was never a realistic expectation. The fact that these new thresholds have been made permanent is a step in the right direction.

Based on comments by key Members of Congress, we fully expect that there will be an effort this year to address significant tax reform, and we will be working with Congress to explore new opportunities for propane in the tax code as well as all other legislation that may move through Congress in this coming session. As always, we encourage anyone who plans to take advantage of any of the above tax provision to consult with their tax advisor or accountant.

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Menards Adds Propane for Greener Energy Mix

Sustainability is about the choices we make and how we live to ensure that future generations have healthy, prosperous lives. Choices involving energy permeate a great many sustainability decisions that confront public and private leaders, as well as individuals, who desire to leave the world a better place.

Forty years ago, John R. Menard, Jr. founded the business that bears his name and grew it throughout the Midwest to become the nation’s third largest home improvement company. Motivated to make his company greener and more sustainable, he decided to pursue changes in Menards’ energy use and offerings.

Read more here.